Oilers: Training camp preview, Part III, right players for right wing

By Guy Flaming

September 4th, 2003

Only tennatural right wing players have been invited to Edmonton Oiler training camp sofar, that’s less than any other position with an exception of goaltenders.Why so few?It would appearfairly obvious that there are no changes planned, or at least no deletions fromthe right side.

Lastseason’s Oiler rookie sensation was young Ales Hemsky.Brought along slowly during the first half of the year, Hemsky flourisheddown the stretch playing with Ryan Smyth and Todd Marchant.The Czech was awarded with Rookie of the Month honors for March andfinished tied for seventh in rookies scoring despite playing in just 59 games.With much of the team’s offensive hopes resting on his shoulders,Hemsky is a lock for a spot on either the first of second line.

n lang=”EN-CA” style=”mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times New Roman”>Hemsky’sonly serious challenge for the top line comes from Radek Dvorak.Acquired at the trade deadline along with Corey Cross from the Rangers,Dvorak is being counted on to return to his sniper form of a couple seasons ago.Dvorak notched 31 goals back in the 2000-01 season prior to sustaining aserious knee injury that the speedster only recently felt fully recovered from.

Inhis month long stint in Edmonton to close last season off, Dvorak showed flashesof his former self especially when scoring the Oilers highlight goal of theplayoffs.However Dvorak broke hishand against Dallas and did not complete the series.There has been some concern as to whether the injury wouldnag the winger through the summer and into this coming season.

KevinPrendergast, VP of Hockey Operations, gave a quick update on all three of theOilers who struggled with injuries at the end of the year.

“Italked to Mike Comrie yesterday and he feels like he’s 100%.I talked to Mike York’s doctor and trainers and they feelthat by the time he gets here for camp Mike will be 100% and Dvorak’s hand isjust fine now.”

2002-03’ssurprise of the year had to be FernandoPisani.A mid-season call upfrom AHL affiliate Hamilton due to injuries with the big club, Pisani playedwell enough to hold onto a roster spot for the remainder of the season andfinished with 13 points in 35 games.Playingas a part of the ‘RPM’ line with Marty Reasoner and Ethan Moreau, Pisaniestablished himself as a worthy checker and also showed an ability to bulge thetwine.Pisani’s hat trick againstWashington in March was the first by an Oiler since 2001.

Recentlysigned to a new three-year contract with one-way money, Pisani is clearly animportant cog in the Oiler machine.Notoffensive enough to supplant Dvorak or Hemsky on the top two lines, the Edmontonnative should find himself in familiar territory on the third line, ridingshotgun to Marty Reasoner.

Perennialcrowd favorite and the NHL’s most feared tough guy, Georges Laraque is theanchor on Edmonton’s fourth line.Contractnegotiations continue with the big man and if they drag on it might open a doorfor a small assortment of younger hopefuls.

Theone prospect that gets a unanimous vote of confidence from his peers about hispotential to make the team is Jani Rita.

“It justamazes me how strong he is on the puck and how he uses his strength all over theice,” confessed Bulldog teammate JarretStoll. “ I think he’ll be a great player someday in the NHL.”

Itis a sentiment echoed by other players as well.

“Somuch strength on the guy it’s like he can put one in at any time and changethe scene of a game,” described Raffi Torres. “With his explosive power he’s always going togive himself the chance to put the puck in the net.”

Thehighly touted Finn entered last year’s training camp amidst projections of aCalder Trophy type season.However,Rita’s fortunes were far less than expected as he fought through severalslumps during the year and finished with 48 points in 64 AHL games.

“Idon’t think he’s slowing down,” defended Howson, “I think he’s gonethrough a time that he probably wasn’t expecting and he’s got to fightthrough it but that can be beneficial to any player.”

Ritadid manage to get into a dozen Oiler games as an injury replacement but failedto stick after totalling just four points.With so much competition on the left wing it is quite possible that Rita,who has experience playing the right side, could be moved to fit him into theline up.And he’s not the onlyone.

TonySalmelainenplayed better and better as the Bulldogs season went on and had a very solidplayoff run to the Calder Cup Finals.LikeRita, the natural lefty can also play on the right wing, which increases hischances of one day making the NHL squad.

“(Tony)was a little spark plug out there for us.Hewas able to get us going a lot of the times when we really needed it,” saidStoll.

Salmelainen’sgift is his explosive speed, a quality that is held in very high regard inOilerville.

Next onthe depth chart is Michael Henrich.Henrich is somewhat of a victim of circumstances in that in the midst ofa very impressive training camp last fall, the 1998 first round draft pick camedown with mononucleosis.Theillness left Henrich bedridden for some time and basically wiped out his season.Henrich will be back to prove that he’s not lost a step from twoseasons ago, his best to date as a pro.

Anotherplayer trying to earn his way back into hockey is JayLegault.

“Jay wasa former draft pick of Anaheim, he did not play at all last year,” Prendergastrecalled, “He’s a big kid at 6’4” 215 lbs and I think being away fromthe game for a year has given him a bit of a wake up call.He’s worked very hard in Peterborough this summer.We know he can play in the AHL so if he can come here and show us thathe’s ready to play then he’ll get a fair chance to play in Toronto (AHL).”

J.J.Hunter spentlast season playing for the Columbus Cottonmouths of the ECHL and collected 53points in 70 games.The native ofShaunavon Saskatchewan had a decent camp last year and will look to find his wayto the AHL this year.

BrownUniversity’s Chris Legg managed only eleven points in 34 ECAC games last year andis looking for a professional contract with the Oilers.Edmonton drafted Legg in the sixth round of the 1999 NHL Entry Draft andhosted him in June at the prospects camp in Sherwood Park.

DallasAnderson playedin Tulsa of the CHL in 2002-03 and finished the year off with 21 points in 48games.With a full roster in the AHL this year, there may be roomfor Anderson there if not in Columbus with the Cottonmouths.

The smallnumber of invitees for the right wing position is a clear indication thatEdmonton is pretty set on that side.Unlessinjuries or contracts prevent coach Craig MacTavish from icing the same fourplayers, the right wing position is not going to change much.

“Wethink the top four are pretty set but again we have interchangeablesituations,” reaffirmed Prendergast. “Ryan Smyth can go to the RW if we needhim to go over there, Rita can too if we need that.If we have to move players we know they are capable of playing on theother side.”

Edmonton’straining camp opens on September 12th at Millennium Place in SherwoodPark, Alberta with a weekend of day sessions open to the public.